1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sailing vessels and sailing kits and, more particularly, to a multi-purpose sailing kit assembly which incorporates one or more hull convertible hulls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is well documented with examples of small sail or manually driven watercraft and which are capable of being converted from one operating configuration to another. U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,709, issued to McKenna, discloses a collapsible and wind propelled water craft including three equidistantly spaced support members arranged in a tetrahedral frame and including a pair of sails supported upon the frame.
Examples of catamaran-style boats with collapsible frames are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,219, issued to Michowski, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,830, issued to Kunz. In the example of Michowski, a rectangular shaped frame supports the first and second hull portions. In the example of Kunn, the rectangular frame includes a covering member and an attachment for supporting an upwardly extending mast and sail.
Additional examples of wind sailing devices with first and second surfboards supported by a frame are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,177, issued to Winter, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,433, issued to Tirez. In each case, a pair of integral planar boards are supported by the frame structure, which also anchors the mast and sail extending upwardly therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,100, issued to Muhlfeld, discloses a sailboat conversion kit capable of reconfiguring a conventional sailboat for traversing a hard surface such as ice. The kit includes an elongated spar assembly mounted transversely on the hull of the sailboat intermediate its ends and which are spaced from the port and starboard sides of the sailboat. First and second surface engaging structures, in the form of blades, mount to outboard ends of the spar assembly and a third surface engaging structure is coupled to a tiller of the sailboat beneath its stern end. The hull assembly in Muhlfeld is likewise of an integral and one-piece design.